Tara Davis-Woodhall knew something was off, and this time, she couldn’t stay quiet. When she saw another fellow jumper go down mid-jump, clutching his ankle in pain, she knew it wasn’t just a freak accident. This was bigger than one moment. While the sport often points fingers at the take-off board or the runway surface, Davis-Woodhall raised a concern that many athletes have quietly echoed for years: Could the problem actually be the spikes themselves? The very shoes designed to provide grip and power, what if they’re doing the opposite?

The incident that triggered it all happened on June 12, 2025, at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands. French long jumper Jules Pommery was mid-runway, building momentum, when disaster struck. As he planted his foot for take-off, it slipped. He collapsed immediately, rolling over in visible agony and holding his ankle. The crowd fell silent. It wasn’t just the pain on his face; it was the deja vu that followed. Because this wasn’t the first time. Pommery had suffered a nearly identical ankle injury during a World Athletics indoor meet in the Czech Republic in 2024. Same athlete. Same ankle. Same part of the jump. Something wasn’t adding up.

Photos shared by Jumpers World only deepened the concern. One image showed a zoomed-in moment as Pommery’s foot struck the take-off board, with a red circle marking the area of concern. Another captured his ankle, resting on a towel, visibly swollen and discolored in shades of purple and yellow, clear signs of trauma. The third photo, taken from a hospital bed, revealed bruising spread across the side of the foot, showing just how severe the damage was. These weren’t just snapshots of injury; they were evidence of a recurring problem. Naturally, the immediate focus turned to the runway and the take-off board.

But Tara Davis-Woodhall was asking deeper questions. If the boards are checked and certified, if the surfaces meet international standards, why are athletes still slipping, especially in identical ways? This is where the conversation turns to the spikes. Davis-Woodhall’s comment on the thread shared by Jumpers World on threads, “When will we talk about which spikes they use? Not just the board?” lit up social media within minutes. And for good reason.

Long jump is a sport of razor-thin margins. Athletes sprint down the runway at full speed and rely on a single foot plant to launch into flight. If their spike doesn’t grip the board perfectly, even a minor slip can cause a catastrophic injury. But there is a major problem that needs to be understood.

Tara Davis-Woodhall’s been an advocate for safety

Well, we know spike models when optimized for speed are not compatible with every surface, especially under the unique forces and angles generated during takeoff. Could the problem be in plain sight? But there’s another layer: the sponsorship gap in field events. While sprinters and distance runners are backed by top-tier shoe brands with tailored, cutting-edge footwear, long jumpers and other field athletes often get left behind. Sponsorship is scarce. Custom spikes are rare. Even elite-level athletes are forced to buy their shoes or repurpose sprint spikes not made for their event.

It’s a situation that highlights how unequal the sport is behind the scenes. And Tara Davis-Woodhall hasn’t been quiet about this. Tara has been vocal about how field event athletes are consistently overlooked. She called out projects like Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track for excluding field events entirely, stressing that many jumpers and throwers can’t even afford to compete without sponsorship. “It’s track AND field for a reason!….Most field athletes can’t afford to continue competing without financial support,” she said.

She’s also criticized the lack of exposure, pointing out how broadcasters often air just one or two jumps while skipping the rest. Her message? If sponsors and media won’t step up, field athletes have to turn to social media and advocate for themselves. Tara Davis-Woodhall’s comments aren’t just a hot take; they’re a wake-up call.

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